Taking the Legion Forward is a long term change programme. It covers almost every area of Legion operations and involves a total of 12 separate projects. The main projects are:

• Legion in the Community
• Clubs Development Project
• Review of Women’s Section
• Review of Membership financial structure
• Review of Membership benefits
• Feasibility of a Central Data and Subscriptions Unit
• Review of Legion magazine
• Options for attracting more members from Service leavers

Calendar of key dates:

2000 – The review begins
The Legion begins a major strategic review. The 1993 Royal Charter is updated and converted into plain English. A ten year corporate planning process is developed and adopted.

2001 – Focus on corporate governance
A wide-ranging corporate governance review is carried out, exploring the structural changes needed for The Royal British Legion to become a model charity.

2002 – The Membership Review
520,000 Legion members are canvassed in one of the largest UK membership consultation exercises ever undertaken. 32% of members respond with feedback coming from as far away as Argentina! Followed up by country-wide focus group meetings. The topic? How to make the Legion more relevant and attractive to younger people. See TLF 1 Newsletter.

2003 – The Taking the Legion Programme is launched
In February the Legion's trustees approve the combined 2001 and 2002 recommendations of the Future Structure Group. Taking the Legion Forward is launched. Individual TLF Project Groups are formed to plan the implementation of the many recommendations. Further involvement and input by members through the Membership Field Project.

2004

* January: A 'Membership Manifesto' is sent to all Legion County and District Chairman, restating key membership principles and promoting 'good practice'. For the first time, County Chairmen and their Committees are actively invited to carry out 'good practice reviews' of all their activities, to ensure that the membership is doing all it can to support the Legion's welfare work.

* February: The Legion in the Community Pilot Project launched with 'Working at the Heart of our Community' as its central theme. LIC

* May: The Royal British Legion Annual Conference approves the major changes to the structure of the Legion. Final planning stepped up to enable the transition to take place in May 2005. Proper Governance

* July: Work continues on other TLF projects. The report on the new Clubs Development Strategy nears completion. The LIC project proving to be a great success and planning for a Legion-wide campaign, LIC 2005, starts. Positive feedback received from County & District Chairmen on Membership Manifesto initiatives, with many encouraging reports new initiatives being developed.

* September: Full evaluation of LIC Pilot Project starts.

* October: National Council discuss the new Clubs Development Business Plan (decision on the recommendations to be taken on 5 February 2005).

* December: Full review by National Council of all structure transition plans, including terms of reference for the new Board of Trustees and its new committees. Transition Nominations Committee set up to handle the appointment of new trustees.

2005

* January: Advertisements in national press for new trustees.